


Solstice Solidarity

by Scampercat101



Category: Bionicle - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Gift Giving, Hurt changed to happiness, Solstice celebration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 15:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17123744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scampercat101/pseuds/Scampercat101
Summary: During Matoro’s exile, the miniature boat of gifts that always arrived on the Winter Solstice was the one thing he could look forward to each year. Little did he know that one year, the boat wouldn’t be quite so “miniature”.





	Solstice Solidarity

It had been by a stroke of luck that Matoro had washed up on his lonely little island.

He’d been searching for some unknown, unclaimed land since the moment they cast him out of their “Kingdom”, calling him the “Disgraced One”, jarring his unattended injuries as they roughly shoved him onto what seemed to be the most ramshackle boat they could find. He had barely managed to handle the small craft, having to flee for his own life as angered citizens threw anything they could find at him: knives, shrapnel, broken bottles, even heatstones that could have set his whole boat on fire.

Fate had thrown him into a storm not even an hour later, and he had found himself holding onto the two halves of his boat to try and hold them together before being swallowed by the sea, pulled under and brought to the surface repeatedly in a maddening cycle. For that time, he had simply tried to ride the currents, gasping for breath every time his head found the surface air then clenching his mouth shut. He eventually found some debris from his boat to cling to as the storm calmed, but could do no more than see where the currents would guide it due to its precarious balance.

After at least a week of repeated storms and being only able to focus on taking his next breath, he had awoken to find himself washed up on an unfamiliar island, the cold surf washing over his legs and back. It was an island unknown to mapmakers and unsettled by anyone else… but it was barely an island at all. Ice and snow sheathed the landscape and left only small yet hardy plants and Rahi for nourishment. The most shelter he could find was against the faces of rocky cliffs, or in hollows dug out of the snow for a single night’s warmth.

His injuries made it clear from the moment he woke that they did not appreciate the cold. The worst offender was his bad arm, which had been hurting since his attempt to outswim Voya Nui and get the Mask of Life to its rightful place. A piece of ammunition from the battle between his teammates and the Barraki had flown off-target and hit him instead. He had known immediately and with utter dismay that it must have come from one of his team’s own launchers, and no matter how hard he swam after that, the injury left him only able to watch as Voya Nui sank, sealing away his goal. His last prayer to the dying Great Spirit as he placed the Mask on his face in a last-ditch effort had been the only thing to get them all to safety that day.

Now, his life was nothing if not a monotonous, dreary cycle. He would carefully manage his resources to keep himself fed enough to stay alive… and he would live a bit longer so that he could eat again. There was scarcely any change or any happiness to be found. His island was barren of almost all color, the waters around it too cold and turbulent to swim in and explore. The skies above him were often cloudy and bleak, even at night.

 _How fitting,_ he would think to himself as he stared at the shrouded heavens at night. _The Ko-Toa who fails to save the universe is forbidden from seeing his beloved stars. He dooms all other fates… and is left unable to see his own._

When the night of his first winter Solstice in exile began, he was barely able to start the meekest fire against the teeth of the cold winds. His arm felt ready to fall completely off. His teeth chattered enough that he was certain several were chipped, and he longingly thought of _home_ , where Nuju and his teammates might all be celebrating, safe and warm. He let his mind imagine himself among them, welcomed in a home, given a seat by the fire, a warm drink or meal to enjoy, able to give gifts, to see someone _smile_ at him, to be hugged, to be free of pain… The longing now felt like a knife, buried in his gut and twisting, and he tried to dispel the thoughts, to no avail. Were they even thinking of him right now? Would Nuju still speak the Rahi language, when it reminded him of the Matoran who he had trusted so much, only to be failed by? Was there some new ice Toa rookie for Kopaka to lend wisdom to, in place of the one who had brought shame to his element?

He steadied his breathing and tried to wipe his tears away lest they freeze to his face, then paused, feeling the wind grow quiet and still. He peered out and saw that the waters around his island were finally calm, placid… one might even say mirror-smooth. For a brief moment, he believed he was seeing an immense school of glowing fish around it, but then the pieces clicked together, and he gaped, staring at the heavens bared above him.

The stars were in his sight again, shining brilliantly, so bright it seemed he could reach out and pluck them from the sky. He could see the Red Star close to his spirit star, trying to perhaps show him that within, he was still a Toa. It was the warmest color he had seen in months. He looked back to its reflection on the water, then blinked, double-taking.

He saw a flickering speck of yellow, drawing nearer across the water, its light almost too bright for his eyes and causing him to squint a little. A tiny wooden boat drew into view, with the light on top of it, coming from a lightstone carefully balanced to avoid toppling. His heart grew still with amazement as he saw more color on the boat, bits of green and red and orange and so much more. When it bumped against the shore, he carefully hurried down to it and scooped it from the water. What he saw made tears spring to his eyes again, for the miniature boat contained several small items he had desperately wanted and needed. There were two lightstones (one uncapped so the boat could be spotted), two heatstones, a new cloak, a blanket, and even some saplings and small comfort foods he had always enjoyed during the Solstice. Whoever sent the boat had known him well, and had been specifically thinking of him during the night.

He hurried back to the small cavern he had found within the cliff face, shakily setting down the boat to unpack the items within. He pulled the cloak around himself tightly, nuzzling into it for its softness and warmth and the fact that it was the closest thing he’d felt to a comforting embrace in ages. He hugged the blanket close as well, setting up the heatstone and lightstone in an alcove in the wall, tension melting out of him bit by bit as the cave felt the tiniest bit like _home._ When he looked at the saplings, he could see they were of a kind of tree that could grow quickly, even in harsh terrain. If he planted them, he could quickly manage to get a better supply of wood, and even some decent shelter from the cold while outside. He took one of the pastries and nibbled on it, setting the others in a cold wall cubby - then froze as he saw two more items within the boat.

One was a necklace. It was made of strongly braided strips of treated hide, the perfect size to be comfortable around his neck. For the “pendant”, the main braids split into six smaller ones. Five of the smaller braids led to small crystal carvings of lightning bolts, in black, brown, green, blue, and red. The last one led to a small white crystal disc. The other item had similar charms attached to it, but was designed to hang from his ceiling. He stared at the charms, stunned as he remembered the lightning bolt that gave his team their Toa forms, and the discs the Metru had once been tasked with finding.

His teammates and Nuju had sent these items, without a doubt.

He put the necklace on and bundled up under both his blanket and cloak, finding himself able to easily sleep for the first time since he became a Toa.

•••••••

The winter Solstice quickly became the one day of the year when he had something he knew he could look forward to. At first, he had been certain the boat would only arrive for one Solstice, that the first time had been a stroke of pure luck. Yet every time, there would be a moment in the night when the wind and sea would calm, the stars would reveal themselves, and the miniature boat would approach, bringing light to his long-forgotten corner of Aqua Magna. He felt gratitude swell in his soul every time, and he cherished the items it carried… but he still felt terribly alone.

After the first time, he tried sending back some of the boats with his own meager treasures from his island, wanting to show them he was still out there, letting them know he was receiving their gifts, praying that he would receive them each year. He had no material to write on to properly send a message, but he doubted any note would survive, knowing his own luck. Occasionally, he would see full-sized boats on the distant horizon, but they would never come close enough to establish contact. All they provided him were occasional glints of light and color.

The Solstice was nearing again, and he was praying to any spirit of fate that might listen that the miniature boat would find him again. What he didn’t realize was that there would be a change this year…

•••••••

Within Turaga Nuju’s office, all that could be heard was the scritching of pen against paper.

The Turaga had an intensity of focus that had rarely been seen in him since the formation of the Kingdom. He was seated at his desk, writing furiously on some papers in front of him, eyes repeatedly zipping their aim across the sheets of papyrus so as to catch any possible mistakes. Ever since the exile trial, his colleagues had hovered over him, trying to keep him from enacting the rage he felt over the fate of his beloved assistant and translator. They knew that, if given the chance, he would do something drastic to reach out to the exiled Toa of Ice.

However, the celebrations of the Solstice were particularly intense this year, and the rest of the Turaga had let their constant attention to him slip up. It was a chance he wasn’t certain he might ever get again, and he was absolutely going to make sure he put it to use.

Finally, the papers were done, and he gave a sharp whistle to summon Kopeke to his side. He handed the papers over, and the Matoran read them once before nodding and running off to pass along the message. It only took a small amount of waiting before the Inika were rushing into his office, quickly gathering by his desk.

“You wished to see us, sir?” Jaller asked.

Nuju nodded, and gave a pointed look at Kongu. The Toa of Air smiled in understanding, his mask beginning to glow as he made it so they could speak to each other through thought. Since Matoro’s exile, he had become even more adamant in speaking nothing but the language of avian Rahi to his colleagues and the Matoran. It was a form of protest, for him: if people felt inconvenienced or hindered by lack of ability to understand him, it was their own fault for driving Matoro away when he needed their support most, so they would have to live with the consequences of their opinions. Now, he had to speak to the Toa Inika for Matoro’s sake, and was willing to make an exception and let them understand him only because he knew they wished the best for the ice Toa as well. But if others caught wind of his plans, they might try to stop them. With connection of thought, only those he still trusted would hear what he wished.

 _I have an opportunity to get you out to his island for the Solstice_ , he began.

Immediately, all of the Toa stood ramrod straight, attention focused on this new thread of hope they could weave into something even greater.

 _What do you need us to do?!_ Hahli questioned eagerly.

 _I will prepare a written order to send you out on a few-day search for any lost ships. There is never a guarantee such a short search will prove fruitful_ … the Turaga started to explain, grinning as he saw their expressions lighten with revelation.

 _...so they can’t complain if we come back without proof of a successful search, and the short time frame makes them less likely to complain that we’ll be needed elsewhere!_ Nuparu’s eyes were wide as dinner plates from his glee.

 _Exactly. I’m sending you the details on the variety of boat you’ll be given to use, and the coordinates we discovered with the trackers in the last few years’ boats. In the meantime, I need you all to gather everything you can to fill the boat and bring him happiness. I trust you have all been saving Widgets in case this chance arose?_ Nuju’s eyes panned over them and witnessed five heads nodding excitedly. _Good. Now go, quickly! Gather all you can!_

The five Toa all bolted for the door, practically tripping over each other in their excitement. Once outside, they paused only to plan out a list of the items they would each grab before splitting up.

Jaller immediately sprinted for a shop that sold new heatstones and lightstones in bulk, buying one crate of each and hefting them to a warehouse by the docks, where they had all agreed to meet. He then rushed to a weaver’s shop, where he purchased as many soft, warm items as he could carry in his arms and over his shoulders… while accounting for some visibility while walking, of course.

Hahli rushed to the bookshop to get any books she thought Matoro would like, including a variety of novels and even puzzle books to keep his mind occupied. Her next targets were healers’ shops, where she made sure to cover anything Matoro might need in the future. She even bought more books there, particularly ones containing instructions for personal first aid and diagnosis.

Kongu rushed to the greenhouses to get a large number of hardy saplings of numerous varieties. Evergreens were good for wind protection and shelter in a harsh winter climate, but any winter-centered fruit trees would be a major boon. Once those were on the boat, he rushed to the market to buy fresh ingredients for any food they might want to make that evening or the following morning. This Solstice, he wanted to make sure Matoro could enjoy a well-deserved _feast_.

Hewkii immediately thought of how difficult it likely was for Matoro to set up a decent home with scarce resources and lingering injuries, and immediately sprinted for the carpenters’ and stonemasons’ shops to buy building supplies in bulk. He had to summon enormous stone carts to get it all to the docks, but it was worth it. After that, he focused on brand-new tools that, with any luck, would last Matoro years to come.

Finally, Nuparu purchased numerous bags of the richest planting soil the earth district could produce, hoping to help increase Matoro’s food supply long into the future through the growth of food crops, and maybe even start making the island more hospitable to plant life. Afterwards, he hurried to his own workshop to retrieve devices he had been working on for years.

They were finally all ready and waiting on the boat, triple-checking that all their gifts were packed, when they noticed Turaga Nuju approaching them.

“Are… you able to come with us, sir?” Jaller asked in a hushed tone, hardly daring to hope as Kongu connected all of their thoughts again.

 _I’m afraid not,_ the Turaga responded with a tone of deep regret. _Having myself vanish from the city after giving that order to all of you would be too suspicious, and if the other Turaga find out we have been reaching out to Matoro, they would double or even triple their efforts to prevent it. For his sake, I must not visit yet. However…_ and here he reached under his cloak to pull out a small bag of items, _I have gathered some of his old possessions, to provide him comfort._

The Inika accepted the bag and peered inside. It contained several older books, as well as trinkets they remembered Matoro carrying around as a Matoran, and some comforting items that seemed to have come from within his old home.

 _These were items he always cherished,_ Nuju explained. _When they rushed him out of the kingdom after his trial, I never had the chance to get these to him, no matter how much I insisted. I didn’t dare ask you to put them on one of the smaller boats, lest they sink before they could reach him… but this Solstice, I think they have a fighting chance._

Hahli nodded solemnly. _We’ll guard them with our lives, and make absolutely certain they get to him safe and sound._

 _Thank you._ Nuju’s shoulders slumped with relief, and he watched as they all prepped the boat to disembark. _Please… make him truly happy this Solstice._

The entire Toa team nodded an affirmative, and as the sun began to set, they began their journey, with Hahli using her powers over water to hurry the boat as much as she could.

•••••••

Matoro was waiting, as he always did on Solstice eve, for the blessed moment when the wind would die down and all would be at peace.

This Solstice had been a particularly frigid one, from the moment the sun rose. The entire day, the sun had stayed close to the horizon, until eventually the night arrived at the earliest hour it would for the entire year.

His wounded arm, the one that had slowed him, was aching more deeply than ever before, the ache echoing out from the centers of his bones. He cradled it closer to his torso, hoping his own feeble warmth would lessen the pain by some amount, but glared at it the whole while.

“Your injury is the reason I’m even out here,” he told it gruffly. “You have nobody else to blame, so stop complaining to me.” As expected, his arm didn’t listen, but he was able to hear a voice speaking aloud for once… even if it was his own… and that provided some small comfort.

The time came when the seas and skies calmed, and the stars gleamed down at him. But dismay filled his heart as he found himself unable to see the tiny light of the usual boat approaching. Indeed, the water was so smooth and glassy that it seemed nothing was approaching the island at all.

Perhaps it had been too much to hope that he would always be remembered… and that he would always be missed.

He dug around in the snow next to himself, bringing out the nearly-exhausted heatstone from the last Solstice, and a bundle that he unwrapped to reveal a meager yet dry bundle of firewood. Setting up a mound of snow at an angle that could keep the flame sheltered from the wind, he used the last of the heatstone’s potential to light the wood on fire, providing some small comfort as light and warmth lapped at his face.

He longed more than ever to be back _home_ again. He longed to hear his own name spoken to him kindly, rather than spat loathingly as it had been at the trial, or replaced with a hate-fueled title for history to remember him by. He longed to sing the songs of the Solstice with his friends, and with Nuju, whether solemnly and peacefully or ridiculously and with such laughter he and a friend might topple over. He longed for the ability to be hugged amiably, to be seen, to be recognized as someone who had given their all and been a victim of fate, rather than a despicable coward.

He wiped his eyes, feeling desperate for some trace of those peacetimes. An old song he knew by heart came to his mind, and he decided that if nothing else, he would have that song for himself this Solstice. So, as the night lay quiet and motionless, he began to sing.

“The cold has turned its icy wrath

On those who held it dear

Yet we still simply smile and laugh

With friends and family near 

The hemlocks may implode beneath

Their icy prisons strong, 

Yet we can soothe unease of heart

With kindness, gift, and song.”

He faltered the tiniest bit, briefly certain he was hearing the faintest harmony to his voice, from someone else. But he dismissed the notion, continuing the song.  
  
“Our windows may feel the cold wind

And leak along the seams,

Yet we share warmth from deep within

Through bonds and hopes and dreams.”

He noticed a speck of yellow out of the corner of his eye and looked out to the sea. It seemed that the miniature boat was finally arriving, having simply been late. But no, that couldn’t be the boat. The position of the light compared to the surface of the water seemed all wrong. Like the boat was too… big.

“The crops may freeze within the fields

And lessen dinner’s fare,

Yet we have saved past autumn’s yields

And all shall have a share.”

He could see it now. The boat was full-sized, a proper vessel, and his team stood on its deck. Jaller held a lightstone aloft, and all five of them were _smiling_ at him, _singing_ with him!

“The Solstice night is long and dark,

Hard it becomes to see

Yet love kindles a light within

The light of unity.”

Their boat reached the shore, and they immediately worked to anchor it to a rock before sprinting towards him. The sudden surge of motion caused him to tumble back with a startled yelp as some instinct of his felt certain he was about to be attacked, but the next moment, he found himself pulled into a tight embrace as they all gathered close to him, fussing over his comfort and health.

Tears sprung to his eyes. “You… you all came to see me…? You all came to see me…!” Saying it aloud seemed to cement in his mind that this was reality, rather than some wishful dream conjured in the throes of sleep. He felt the hug around him tighten - not enough to be uncomfortable, though. “How did you manage to-?”

“The other Turaga were all busy this solstice, and didn’t keep as close of an eye on Nuju as they usually would. He provided us the opportunity to head out here with out drawing suspicion,” Jaller exclaimed.

Hewkii perked up and focused his attention on Matoro’s meager shelter in the cliff face. “Is that where you’ve been resting and keeping safe?”

Matoro nodded, a bit embarrassed at the thought of all of them having to cram inside due to his inability to find a better shelter. “Y-yeah… I’m sorry it’s not… bigger. It’s all I could manage…”

“...with your injuries hindering you?” Hahli deduced.

The ice Toa nodded again, ducking his head meekly and averting his gaze.

Jaller seemed dismayed by his teammate’s shame. “That’s not something you need to be sorry over, Matoro,” he said with a reassuring smile. “We came here to help you, and we already realized you wouldn’t have had much to work with on this kind of island.”

Nuparu nodded eagerly. “That’s why we brought building materials! We loaded everything we could onto the boat. And you won’t need to worry about your injuries now - Hahli can work on healing you, and we’ll take care of actually building this place into something that can work as a home for you.”

Matoro’s eyes watered and he hugged them all again. “Please…!”

That “please” was all it took before they set to work, unloading the materials from the boat before bringing them to the smooth cliff face to be assembled into a better structure. Hewkii and Nuparu set to work building the external structure, but in the meantime, Hahli had Matoro sit in the lee of one of the already-present trees as she tended his wounds.

“Is it your right arm that’s been bothering you the most?” she asked him. At his nod, she carefully poked and prodded it, eyes widening as she realized something. “No _wonder_ it’s still hurting. It’s been dislocated this whole time.” She carefully popped his shoulder joint back into order, and while he yelped at the burst of pain it caused, the ache he had lived with for years felt much more distant.

“Thank you…!” He stared at the arm in wonder, flexing the elbow and shoulder and wrist and marveling at how much less pain there was. He remembered that his transformation back into a Toa Inika had been particularly painful with the arm in its injured state.

Hahli smiled at seeing him so happy. “We’ve only just begun. I’m certain you have other untreated injuries. I want to make sure you’re as healthy as can be by the time we leave.” She helped him remove some of his bulkier armor so salve could be spread on his old wounds.

Hewkii poked his head out of the half-assembled building that was taking shape before them. “Hey, Matoro. This cliff face you found is… actually really stable. With our materials and powers, we could create a hefty system of rooms within the cliff itself, more tucked away from the cold, _and_ it could lead to us extracting even more building material for the exterior. Would you want us to do that?”

Matoro perked up, angling his head to stare at them in wonder and excitement. “If you’d be willing to do that, yes please!”

Hewkii grinned and nodded. “We’ll get right on it!” His and Nuparu’s work seemed to reach fever speed, and before they knew it, the exterior walls were all complete.

Hahli chuckled and helped Matoro into the first of the rooms beyond the large entryway. “Let’s get you inside, to where it’s warmer.”

The ice Toa didn’t need telling twice as he wrapped his arms around himself and rushed for the doorway, shivering and followed by the rest of his teammates. “Feels good to have… sturdy walls around me…” He was shivering enough to impede his speech.

Hewkii and Nuparu emerged from the depths of the home’s interior, dusting off their hands as their work was completed. “It may be empty for now, and need more bits of ‘home’ than we brought, but I can see it becoming well-loved in the future!” the stone Toa stated proudly.

Matoro was already gaping at the detailed walls around them. “I… already love it…”

Jaller chuckled. “We still need to unload the boat the rest of the way.” He handed Matoro the lightstone he’d been holding. “Wait right here, rest a bit if you need to. We’ll all be right back.”

The ice Toa waited as he had been told, but worries seeped into his thoughts as more time passed without their return. He cradled the lightstone close, shivering as he imagined them simply leaving after seeing how much of a weakling he was, sailing away on their boat and never coming back to his island, never reaching out to him on the Solstice again…!

He heard footsteps approaching, and looked up to see Jaller entering with two large crates in his arms. “Got another load I’m bringing in after this. The others should be by with their loads soon, too,” the team captain explained.

His shoulders slumped with relief, and he mentally berated himself for being such a fool, trying to look less tense and ridiculous as the others came and went.

They eventually all moved to the larger central hall, where there was a large firepit for everyone to gather around. Wood was piled into it and lit with a heatstone, and Matoro gasped with joy as what seemed like a tangible blanket of warmth settled over him.

Jaller noticed the reaction and grinned, prying open the crates he’d carried in to show another gift they had brought - one load each of lightstones and heatstones. “There’s plenty more for the future. You won’t get frost on your armor as much as you used to, not by a long shot. And in addition…” and here he paused to pry open another crate that was all but bursting at the seams, “We brought a lot of cloth items to keep you warm, like blankets and cloaks!”

Matoro all but dove into the crate face-first, trying to pull out the first thing he could - only to find his chosen item was far heavier than he expected. “Why is this so hard to lift…?”

“It’s a weighted blanket,” Hahli explained. “It has pockets filled with heavier filling. It’s supposed to make someone feel more secure when they use it, like they’re hugged as they sleep.” She moved to help her teammate pull it out and drape it over his shoulders and back. “We figured that if we couldn’t be here ourselves to hug you, we should give you the next best thing to help you rest more easily at night. It’s made of flameproof materials in case a corner gets caught in a fire or something, too.”

The ice Toa immediately bundled himself in it tightly. “It’s going to take some effort to get _out_ from under it in the mornings, but… honestly, I think it would take just as much effort to even _want_ to get out from under it.” He was so bundled up that they could only see his eyes peeking out, causing them all to chuckle. Nuparu made sure to use his comm-camera to capture a picture of that moment, for Nuju to see when they returned home.

Hahli then brought out the gifts she’d taken care of. “I figured you were probably having to deal with monotony and boredom out here, so I made sure to get things to help keep your mind happy.” She opened the lid of another crate to show it was packed to the brim with books. “Some of these were released after you were sent away, so you might get to enjoy brand-new stories you never read before! And there’s puzzle books in there, too, so you can challenge your mind like you always used to!”

Matoro picked one of the puzzle books up, flipping through it before hugging it to his chest tightly. “...I’m going to fall asleep working on these for long stretches of time. I can already tell.”

Hahli chuckled at his excitement, opening a drawstring sack next. “I also didn’t want you having to deal with untreated injuries again, so I made sure to stock up on all the medical supplies you might need for the future. These should easily last until next year, if not longer, if you store them right. And if you end up injured in a way where you can’t heal your own injuries…” here she brought out a small device, “this beacon will let Nuparu know if you activate it. He has an excuse he can use in cases of emergency to get me out to you and you patched up.” They could see Matoro’s shoulders slump with relief at the explanation.

Hewkii brought out a bag of tools he had brought as a gift. “I imagined important tools we took for granted back home would have been extremely difficult to put together here, yet they would be useful for countless tasks in everyday life. So, I got you a bunch of sturdy tools to use around your island. I’m sorry if they’re the wrong size for your height. It… had been a while since I’d last seen you when they asked me what size worked best.”

“I’ll use them no matter if they’re too small or big. I’m grateful to even have them!” The ice Toa tested the weight of one of the tools in his hands, smiling as he found it to his liking. “Some of the ground has been coated in slippery ice for ages, and I haven’t had the energy to de-ice it with my powers.”

Kongu perked up as he felt the chance to have his turn, bringing forward the numerous saplings and seeds he had brought from the boat. “I brought a bunch of winter crops and wintering fruit trees! It seemed like an island like this wouldn’t have much in the way of greenery, so I figured you could use some crop plants that could withstand the weather and bring you more food!”

Matoro gaped at the familiar fruit-icons on the sapling bags, mouth looking ready to water. “...are those frostsnap fruit saplings…?”

“Yep!” Kongu chirped with a nod. “Should be strong ones, too.”

Nuparu spoke up next. “I brought fresh bags of planting soil for them to grow in, so they have a healthy head start!” He gestured over his shoulders, to where a number of large bags of soil leaned against the wall. “And, of course, I couldn’t come here without bringing you one or two of my own inventions.” He brought out a couple of devices that were soon powered on, along with what seemed to be a power cell charger. “The item with the screen has a bunch of old images from our happier times as Matoran back home loaded up on it with Nuju’s help, in case you feel homesick. You can look through them any time you want. The speaker-device is meant to play ambient noise files, in case you have trouble sleeping. There’s a looping file of the noise recorded in Nuju’s knowledge tower, and one from a library not far from where you lived, and one of the Ko-district fishing fleets coming in to dock in the distance. And the device with the solar panel is able to recharge the power cells the other two run on.”

“And finally…” Hahli brought out the last satchel, opening it up so Matoro could see that it was filled with some of his personal items from back home, such as books and a well-loved plush. “Nuju gathered these together for us to return to you.”

Nuparu blinked as he saw the ice Toa’s eyes crinkle and tear up. “Is… is there something wrong?”

“N-no, no, nothing’s wrong, I just… wasn’t expecting this many amazing gifts!” Matoro tried to hold back a sob, but it managed to halfway escape as he pulled the blanket over his head to hide his expression. He jolted as he felt someone hug him, and peered out to see Jaller had pulled him against his side to provide soothing support.

“It’s alright if you need a moment, Matoro. Take deep breaths. That’s it. We’re here for you.” The fire Toa warmed his hand and rubbed soothingly against his teammate’s blanket-covered back.

Matoro followed his advice, breathing slowly and deeply for several minutes as he tried to wipe the tears out of his eyes. “What… changed that made you come see me this year?”

“We finally had a _chance_ , no thanks to six of the seven Turaga,” Hahli explained. “Every year, day in and day out, they would keep us too busy to ever head out and search for you, even on the winter Solstice. The most we could do was sneak out to send you those mini-boats, and hope they would reach you.”

“They always did, somehow,” he revealed. His whole team perked up at hearing this, glad to know their friend had always received their aid when they sent it.

“This year, though…” Hahli continued, “things got busier than they normally did for the Solstice. The other Turaga didn’t keep a close enough eye on Nuju, and he used his authority to write an order that would let us come out here without revealing what we were doing. We took the chance and ran with it, on his orders, packing everything we could think of into the boat.”

“How have you been faring, all the way out here?” Hewkii asked, head cocked in concern.

“...mostly miserable. It’s cold beyond belief here most of the time, and my injuries ached every single day, and hindered me. It was all a monotonous loop eventually. I was just surviving today so I could live to see tomorrow, and survive that day, too. Surviving for the sake of living became living for the sake of surviving.” Matoro rested his head against Jaller’s shoulder. “The Solstice, with its few hours of peace and quiet and the boat coming out of the dark, was quite possibly the only thing I had to look forward to.”

“I noticed that your arm seemed like it had been dislocated for ages… maybe even since our time in the ocean,” Hahli mentioned.

“It was. It got hit by someone’s ammunition when I was trying to outswim Voya Nui and all of you were battling the Barraki. I… I didn’t want to say it, while we were still reeling, but I think it was the type our team used. Possibly from one of you misfiring…” Matoro ducked his head back under the blanket in discomfort.

The entire team shared a shocked look, sharing thoughts as an idea took shape in their minds. “We… might be able to use that.”

Matoro blinked, utterly confused. “What do you mean?”

“If we reveal we were equally responsible for the death of Mata Nui, we could get ourselves exiled, too. If the people back home get too crazy and fail to see sense, it’s a way for us to get ourselves out of there and back to your island, where we can help you more easily,” Jaller explained.

The ice Toa was stunned. “You… you would all do that? Willingly?”

Five heads nodded eagerly… perhaps too eagerly.

“I’m sure we could help Nuju get out of there, too, if we really tried, and he felt ready to leave. We could all come here and make this a good place to live.” Hahli seemed ready to enact the plan at a moment’s notice.

“...if worse comes to worst, then I’d really appreciate it. But if the city needs you… please… don’t abandon it.” Matoro seemed torn, guilty at the thought of Matoran left undefended yet longing to have someone on the island with him.

“Don’t worry,” Jaller assured him. “We won’t leave at the drop of a helm. We’re just glad we have this option if things come to it, or if the Turaga try to turn you into even more of a scapegoat.” He stroked the ice Toa’s back some more.

Kongu abruptly stood up. “I can go start working on planting those saplings. Nuparu, want to help?”

“Absolutely!” The two of them were gone in the blink of an eye, taking the crops and soil bags with them… though a tiny trickle of dirt was left on the floor. Hewkii and Hahli both set to work preparing the many foods that had been brought for the night’s meal, and soon the air was rich with smells that Matoro had missed far more than he’d realized. The warmth, the closeness, and the familiar smells of home lulled him into a sense of entranced calm, and he sighed as he laid down, so his head was against Jaller’s leg, nearly using his lap as a pillow even as the fire Toa continued stroking his back through the blanket. He wasn’t fully listening to the sounds around him so much as he was simply hearing them now, yawning as his eyelids drooped.

Hahli noticed this as she paused in cooking the food. “Jaller… look at him.”

“Hm?” The fire Toa turned to stare down at Matoro, then smiled. Their teammate was practically asleep at that moment, fingers twitching slightly as he was halfway submerged into his dreams. As if sensing their gaze on him, he lifted his hands to hide his face, murmuring faintly in half-awareness.

Hewkii gave the pot over the center of the fire one last stir and nodded to himself in approval. “Looks like everything’s ready to eat. I’ll go call the other two in.” He got to his feet and headed for the entryway, and they soon heard him calling out loudly to Nuparu and Kongu to summon them in.

Jaller turned to focus on waking Matoro while Hahli worked on doling out a heaping serving of each dish for their half-starved teammate. “Matoro? Matoro, the food’s ready. It’s time to wake up for Solstice dinner.”

The ice Toa jolted awake. “Whu-huh? Hm?....oh.” He sat up and stretched, yawning widely as he blinked awake. He seemed to be running on autopilot as he took the plateful Hahli offered him, but once he took a bite, he perked up quite a bit. “This is the best food I’ve had in years…!” He seemed to be trying to battle away his drowsiness as he kept eating now, stomach grumbling as if it wished to complain that the food wasn’t being eaten quickly enough. They’d brought bread, various meats and vegetables, some tubers, and sweet berries and pastries, and he clearly wanted some of everything. By his last few bites, though, sleep was winning again, and he seemed ready to topple forward directly into the fire they were all sitting around.

Jaller quickly took away his empty plate and steadied him before that could happen. “Easy, Matoro. Looks like you need to rest up.” With Hahli’s help, he got Matoro to lay down on the floor as their sleeping rolls were all brought out, and the team all set theirs up in a tightly gathered cluster. They were all feeling exhausted from their happy reunion, and quickly got into their sleeping rolls after helping Matoro into his.

Matoro smiled as they all scooted even closer, until they were leaning heads on each other and even draping arms loosely over their neighbors, semi-dogpiled. It was the safest he’d felt in ages, and it was no surprise that he fell deeply asleep not long after.

•••••••

The next day dawned frigid and windy, as every day on the island did. Yet inside the home his friends had made him, Matoro felt nothing if not warmth surrounding him, all thanks to his friends’ efforts.

It made it all the more difficult to see those friends needing to leave.

“Are you certain you have to leave so soon?” he asked, watching as they gathered their meager necessities back onto their ship.

“We _do_ need to, as much as we _don’t_ want to,” Jaller explained as he put on his warm cloak. “Nuju could only give us so much time out here. The sooner we head back, the less suspicion we draw.”

“And the less suspicion we draw, the less the chance of them stopping us from reaching out to you next winter Solstice, and the greater the chance that we can visit you again next time without complications,” Hahli finished.

“...alright. I hope you all get home safely.” He had followed them to the shore where their boat awaited, wanting to see them off.

The whole team gave him a tight hug before preparing to depart, but Jaller lingered to look him in the eye. “Next winter Solstice, we’ll return… hopefully with Nuju in tow. But if we get the chance, we’ll visit you even before then.” He squeezed Matoro’s hand. “That, my friend, is a promise.”

 


End file.
